Folding table.



E. T. BUBROWES.

FOLDING TABLE- APPLXCATION FILED|SEPT.24. 1914.

1 35,434, Patented July 31, 1917.

EDWARD T. BURROWES, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FOLDING TABLE.

i,235,d3ei.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, EDWARD T. Bunnowns,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding leg structures, especially adapted for use on light portable tables, such as card tables, and it comprises improved latching means for the table legs, whereby the braces may be unlocked to fold the table by exerting pressure against the legs without the necessity of taking hold of the braces to unlock the same. This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 803,130, filed Nov. 26, 1913.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my invention,

Figure l is a bottom plan view of the card table embodying my improvements, the

legs being shown folded;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view, showing one of the legs and its brace extended;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the braces; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the operation of the brace.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the table as a whole comprising the top a, rectangular frame 6, and legs a.

The legs 0 of the table are pivotally connected at 1 to brackets 1, each bracket being attached to adjacent side bars of the frame. The bracket need not be described in detail as the same is made the subject of another application eo-p'ending herewith. These brackets space the legs a suitable distance from the adjacent sides of the frame to permit of the free operation of the braces d. As shown, each brace consists of a thin metal bar having an off-set portion 2, which is pivotally connected to a side bar of the frame .by a wood screw or pivot pin 3, and the body 4 of the bar is straight and provided on one edge, near its free end, with a rounded recess or depression 5 and an inclined surface 6, which meets the wall of the recess at an angle at the po1nt'7. A

stud or pin 8, secured to the leg 0, carries a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

. Original application filed November 26, 1913, Serial No. 803,130. Divided and this application filed September Serial No. 863,318.

roller 9 adapted to fit within the recess 5 in the brace. A U-shaped metal strap 11 fits around the brace and the roller and is secured to the leg by the stud 8, which passes through perforations in the strap.

A stop pin 12 is secured to the frame between the pivotal point 8 of the brace and the pivotal point of the leg, the stop pin being located so that the brace (1 will bear against the stop when the brace and leg are in their extended positions, as shown in Fig. 3, thus limiting the outward movement of the leg. It will be noted that when a table leg isfully extended, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the shoulder 7 on the brace engages'the roller substantially on a line passing through 7 the center of the pivot 3 and the center of the roller, or the stud on which the roller is mounted, and as the leg swings on a different center from that on which the brace swings, the leg cannot be folded inward unless it is given a sharp rap or suflicient pressure is applied to the leg to cause the roller thereon, bearing on the shoulder 7, to force the brace outward slightly, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The brace will yield sufficiently for this purpose, and the roller will snap over the. shoulder, unlocking the leg from the brace. The leg may then be folded, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the pivoted strap 11 causing the brace to fold inwardly with the leg. 35 In unfolding'the le the roller rides on the inner edge of the race until the brace is against the stop pin 12 and the roller is about at the shoulder 7 and a slight further movement of the'leg causes the brace to yield slightly and the, roller snaps over the shoulder and into the recess 5, locking the leg. on the same edge of the brace as the socket 5 is shown a depression 13, this de pression being for the purpose of affording clearance for the roller 9 when the leg is folded, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the brace may lie parallel with the table leg. The stud 8 and roller 9 constitute a cylindrical projection on the table leg, the center of which is in line with the shoulder 7 and the center of pin 11 when the projection is within the recess 5.

.It will be observed from the foregoing, that in folding the table it is unnecessary to handle the brace. Usually, in tables of this kind, the brace must be unlocked from the leg by a separate operation before the latter can be folded In the table tne present invention, this is unneessar /i hat I claim is:

1. in a folding; table, a leg and s hrs-ice pivoted to swing on difierent centers a cylindrical projection mounted on the leg, and said brace having a recess on its inner side or edge near its free end, adented to receive the projection When the leg is extended, the engaging Wall of said recess on the side toward the pivoted end 01 the brace terminating in a shoulder substantially on a line joining the axis of theibrece and the axis of the projection when the projection is in the recess, and a stop on a. fixed part of the table adapted to limit the outward movement of the brace and to cause the letter to bear inwardly against said projection when the latter is passing the shoulder.

2. in a folding table, a leg and a lorace pivoted to swing" on difi'erent centers a roller mounted on the leg and said brace having a recess on its inner side or edge near its free end, adapted to receive the roller "when the leg is extended the engaging Well of said recess on the side toward the pivoted end of the brace terminating in a shoulder substantially on a line joining the pivotal axes of the brace and roller when the roller is in the recess, and a stop adapted to limit the outward movement of the brace and to cause the latter to bear inwardly against said projection When the latter is passing the shoulder.

In testimony whereof I have athxed my signature. in presence of two Witnesses.

Elli YARD T. BURROVJES. Witnesses:

V S. Dow, VYm-L'rs C, FLYZ, 

